Steamed Mussels in White Wine and Parsley. Rustic Italian Garlic Bread.

... "With all the vegetarians/vegans in Bears in the Kitchen - I have to give an homage to them, so I stepped out of my beef/chicken/pork boundaries and made a pescatarian and an ovo-lacto vegetarian happy ...

Steamed Mussels in White Wine with Parsley: US Butter. Shallot. Garlic. Dry White Wine. Bay Leaf. Mussels. Heavy Cream. Parsley. S & P.

Rustic Italian Garlic Bread: Bread Flour. RR Yeast. Water. Salt. Vegetable Oil. Garlic. US Butter. Parmesan Cheese.

While making this dish, James was surprised that I made seafood for dinner. He asked me, "Are you OK? Where's the beef?" We both started laughing. I replied, "I didn't give up red meat on Fridays for Lent this year, but I can give up red meat for a day ... just for today. Only today." /itching for some prime rib ...

FOLLOW ME:

TWITTER - INSTAGRAM - PINTEREST: @thepantrypanda
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/thepantrypanda
WEBSITE: http://www.thepantrypanda.com

BEARS IN THE KITCHEN: http://www.facebook.com/groups/bearsinthekitchenn

Drunken Noodles with Chicken.

... "I was inspired to make a dish that represents October. When I think of October, I think of alcohol and lots of it. I also had a itch for Thai/Vietnamese food as of late from the fail restaurants that I reviewed in my foodie travels around Chicago and Milwaukee ... so, I present -

Drunken Noodles with Chicken: Rice Noodles. BS Chicken Breast. Soy Sauce. Dark Brown Sugar. Lime Juice. Lime Wedges. Asian Chili Garlic Sauce. Vegetable Oil. Baby Bok Choy. Thai Basil. Cilantro. Scallion.

What makes this "drunken" is that the noodles are soaked in hot water until they are pliable but not mushy. I put in extra Asian chili garlic sauce, because I like things extra spicy. I also bought some Singha beer to round out the Thai experience and to easily extinguished the warm burn nicely. The fall-like weather, i.e., rain, wind, and dreaded snow is just around the corner ... so, I needed the heat to keep me thinking that it's still summer in my mind ..." /wants a re-do of summer

FOLLOW ME:

TWITTER - INSTAGRAM - PINTEREST: @thepantrypanda
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/thepantrypanda
WEBSITE: http://www.thepantrypanda.com

Smothered Pork Chops.

... "It's been really cold lately and I needed something other than my Snuggie and the dogs keeping me warm ...

Smothered Pork Chops: Bacon. AP Flour. LS Chicken Broth. Vegetable Oil. Bone-In Rib Loin Pork Chops. S & P. Onions. Water. Garlic. Thyme. Bay. Parsley.

I served brown rice versus white rice, because of its nuttier flavor and texture. The velvety rich sauce complimented it well. As for compliments are concerns, James was surprised that I made dinner, he was expecting us to go out for dinner ... - I haven't really cooked in a couple of weeks due my work travels, but a home-cooked meal is always better than a restaurant meal any day of the week." /grabbing a second plate ...

Chicken Adobo and Rice.

... "The weather outside is frightful ... well, it's cold and wet here in Chicagoland and it's a perfect time to make a stroll down Memory Lane and heat things up in my kitchen ...

Chicken Adobo - Chicken. Water. Vegetable Oil. Onions. Garlic. Soy Sauce. White Vinegar. Bay Leaf. Peppercorns.

White Rice - Rice. Water. Salt.

Every time I make this dish, I think about my mother's epic version of it. I remember her slaving away at the stove every day when I get home from school. I opened the front door and I stand and stare at the dishes my mom cooked on the stove. Need I mention the Filipino aromas from the spices and ingredients my mom's kitchen!! With that said, I'm always taken back to my childhood and pigging out late night while the rest of my family is sleeping and watching TV or playing my Nintendo until the early hours of the morning. The funny thing is that the rest of family finds out that I ate the leftovers from the family meal the night prior... then, my mom would scold me and call me a "baboy" ('pig' in Tagalog) ... Buddha Baboy ... my old-school nickname ..." /the feels and the memories

TWITTER - INSTAGRAM - PINTEREST: @thepantrypanda
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/thepantrypanda
WEBSITE: http://www.thepantrypanda.com/
BEARS IN THE KITCHEN: http://www.bearsinthekitchenn.com/

Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Cauliflower. Basmati Rice.

... "James wanted to get Indian food and I really didn't want to go out for dinner. My kitchen was calling me - I haven't cooked nor been home all week. James stayed at home while I shopped and walked down the aisles of several of my favorite domestic/international supermarkets this afternoon. Being that it's starting to get cold outside and the start of autumn starts later this week, I wanted to make a dish that would warm me up on the inside and on the outside.

Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Cauliflower: BL/SL Chicken Breasts. S & P. Vegetable Oil. Onion. (Hot Madras) Curry Powder. Garlic. Ginger. LS Chicken Broth. Cornstarch. Red Potatoes. Cauliflower. Peas. Plain Yogurt. Cilantro.

Basmati Rice: Vegetable Oil. Cinnamon Stick. Cardamom Pods. Cloves. Onion. Basmati Rice. Water. Salt.

Again, I cherish the time I am home with James and there's nothing like a home-cooked meal. After our home was filled with aromatic smells, I set the table, turned the lights down low, burned some incense, and turned on 'Indian Classical Radio' on Pandora One and had dinner with James ... it felt like we were at one of our favorite Indian restaurants. All I got to say in the end,'मेरा प्यारा घर' (Mērā pyārā ghara) 'Home Sweet Home' ... nothing beats a home cooked meal. NOTHING DOES." /plays the air sitar during dinner with a smile on my face ...

FOLLOW ME: http://www.facebook.com/thepantrypanda
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM/PINTEREST: @thepantrypanda
WEBSITE: http://www.thepantrypanda.com

One-Pan Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables.

... "I needed to decompress from work today, so I got my aggressions out by making ...

One-Pan Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables: Chicken. Brussels Sprouts. Red Potatoes. Shallots. Carrots. Fennel. Parsnips. Garlic. Thyme. Rosemary. S & P. Butter. Sugar.

With my current travels on the road I rarely have the time to make dinner when I am home - this meal is made just under an hour negating mise en place. While this was cooking in the oven and filling the whole house with aromatic smells ... I got all the tedious paperwork I needed to get done and completed other work tasks. I took out the sizzling hot pan and served James and myself a generous helping. We both sat down and ate. I watched James enjoy his dinner and he said, 'I miss your cooking.' I replied, 'I miss it too.'" ... /closes my eyes and takes a bite and smiles ...

FOLLOW/LIKE - http://www.facebook.com/thepantrypanda
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM/PINTEREST - thepantrypanda
WEBSITE: http://www.thepantrypanda.com

Buttermilk Banana Pancakes.

 

... "I've been traveling all week and I ravaged my pantry and the refrigerator for something to make for breakfast on this bright sunny and cool morning without going to the supermarket to buy ingredients. James had some over-ripened bananas sitting on the counter and he wanted something out of the ordinary for breakfast ...

Buttermilk Banana Pancakes - Buttermilk. AP Flour. Sugar. Baking Powder. Baking Soda. Salt. Egg. Unsalted Butter. Ripened Mashed Bananas. Vegetable Oil. Vermont Maple Syrup. Confectioner's Sugar.

... Sunday morning breakfast complete." /fulfilled breakfast craving